Tawâw, welcome, to the Wîcihitowin Indigenous Student Alliance (WISA)!
A student-led space for Indigenous learners at Athabasca University
We are an alliance of Indigenous students at Athabasca University, each from different backgrounds but all with a common vision of seeing culturally informed, safe and inclusive education experiences at AU for all First Nations, Métis and Inuit students!
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We named ourselves the Wîcihitowin Indigenous Student Alliance. Wîcihitowin means "the act of helping or supporting one another" in Cree. The intent of choosing this word was to honour the efforts to be a collective, equal, peer-based group that envisions a student body that lifts each other up.
Our Space
Though we are fully online, WISA is an Indigenous-specific space AU that connects Indigenous students across distance. We provide a place for First Nations, Métis, and Inuit students at Athabasca University to find connection and build community wherever they are located. Community here begins with Wîcihitowin, which means helping and supporting one another in Cree.
Cultural Connection & Events
We facilitate Indigenous student connection through online gatherings, speaker events, game nights, cultural conversations, and more.
Our events create opportunities to:
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Learn from Indigenous knowledge holders
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Celebrate culture and identity
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Build friendships across distance
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Reconnect in good ways
Check out our Events page to see upcoming WISA events.
Advocacy
WISA is student-led and guided by equal, collective voice. We advocate for Indigenous students at AU by listening to community needs and working toward meaningful positive change. We speak with our community, not for it.
Our advocacy includes:
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Raising concerns that impact Indigenous students
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Supporting students in navigating institutional barriers
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Advancing Indigenous-led priorities within and beyond AU
